As Seen On Screen: Our Top Teen Movie Crushes

As Seen On Screen: Our Top Teen Movie Crushes

12. Tom Sawyer (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) - Tom and Huck, 1995

12. Tom Sawyer (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) - Tom and Huck, 1995

Oh good, another time when we were super jealous of Rachael Leigh Cook, who played Tom’s love interest, Becky Thatcher. Although our older sister was all about Brad Renfro, it was JTT who made our insides do weird things. This movie was p ...

Oh good, another time when we were super jealous of Rachael Leigh Cook, who played Tom’s love interest, Becky Thatcher. Although our older sister was all about Brad Renfro, it was JTT who made our insides do weird things. This movie was probably really bad, but we saw Home for the Holidays, Man of the House, and all sorts of other atrocious films around this time.

Why? Because JTT, duh.

11. Matthew (Jonathan Brandis) - Ladybugs, 1992

11. Matthew (Jonathan Brandis) - Ladybugs, 1992

In this movie, Jonathan Brandis (RIP) played Rodney Dangerfield’s son who dresses half the time like hottie Matthew and who falls in love with a girl on his soccer team who becomes best friends with Martha, Matthew’s female alter ego wh ...

In this movie, Jonathan Brandis (RIP) played Rodney Dangerfield’s son who dresses half the time like hottie Matthew and who falls in love with a girl on his soccer team who becomes best friends with Martha, Matthew’s female alter ego who plays soccer for Rodney’s girls’ team so they can win so he can get promoted and gain his wife’s love back. Are you following? Yeah, uh, us either.

But despite the nuttiness of the plot lines, the only fact we needed to know was that Matthew was literally the boy we dreamed of falling in love with, like, every night. Plus, soccer.

10. Dean Sampson (Paul Walker) - She’s All That, 1999

10. Dean Sampson (Paul Walker) - She’s All That, 1999

Dean was a real ass in this movie, we know. He lied, he fought, and he tried to take advantage of RLC. But in between all of his poor life choices, he also showed off his amazing tan and rocking bod, tucked it all in a tux, and basically wo ...

Dean was a real ass in this movie, we know. He lied, he fought, and he tried to take advantage of RLC. But in between all of his poor life choices, he also showed off his amazing tan and rocking bod, tucked it all in a tux, and basically won at being the most attractive person on the screen. Freddie who? (JK, but seriously).

Plus, without this little baseline of hotness, Paul might not have made it onto our radar… You know, except that he also starred in Pleasantville and Varsity Blues that year. So, basically, it was inevitable he’d make this list somehow.

9. Chase Hammond (Adrian Grenier) - Drive Me Crazy, 1999

9. Chase Hammond (Adrian Grenier) - Drive Me Crazy, 1999

What was this movie even about? All we remember is that when MJH helped Adrian Grenier into a collared shirt, we suddenly realized how blue his eyes are and how overcome we were with the sudden need to lace our fingers through his curls. ...

What was this movie even about? All we remember is that when MJH helped Adrian Grenier into a collared shirt, we suddenly realized how blue his eyes are and how overcome we were with the sudden need to lace our fingers through his curls.

Which is great, because rereading the synopsis of the movie, it seems that the takeaway message is: when in doubt, make over someone who’s already hot. Chances are, they’ll look even hotter. So, thanks Drive Me Crazy for the life lessons.

8. Sebastian Valmont (Ryan Phillippe) - Cruel Intentions, 1999

8. Sebastian Valmont (Ryan Phillippe) - Cruel Intentions, 1999

Sure, he was the worst and did so many terrible things. But he did them while looking amazing and keeping the creep factor to a minimum — or, to at lea ...

Sure, he was the worst and did so many terrible things. But he did them while looking amazing and keeping the creep factor to a minimum — or, to at least a level we didn’t fully notice until the movie was over.

Plus, the fact that he and onscreen love Reese Witherspoon were falling in love in real life made us dream all that much more about meeting our future husband while on set.

Wise-beyond-their-time girls knew that Heath Ledger’s Patrick was just a distraction from the real cutie in 10 Things: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and his swe ...

Wise-beyond-their-time girls knew that Heath Ledger’s Patrick was just a distraction from the real cutie in 10 Things: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and his sweet Volvo. And while he’s grown up to be quite the widely appreciated hottie, it was his boyish charm that cemented a place for him in our hearts.

Oh, and we’re pretty sure that JGL gets credit for making us think it was cute when our teenaged crushes had a little voice cracking happen. So, you’re welcome seventh grade boys.

The movie was so full of cringe-inducing moments (hello, that feather boa? Yikes) that the sweet-faced Mr. Coulson stood out all that much more as our dream professor. And yes, if you’re asking, we are hot for teacher.

5. Scott Wormer (Devon Sawa) - Now and Then, 1995

5. Scott Wormer (Devon Sawa) - Now and Then, 1995

Devon Sawa was in, like, half the movies in the mid-’90s, to which we say: Thank you, casting geniuses, for understanding the kind of boy we crush on still, on the reg. With his center-parted blond hair, tiny gap in his teeth, ...

Devon Sawa was in, like, half the movies in the mid-’90s, to which we say: Thank you, casting geniuses, for understanding the kind of boy we crush on still, on the reg. With his center-parted blond hair, tiny gap in his teeth, and dreamy blue eyes, D.Saw made us feel stirrings the likes of which we’d never felt before.

So yes, we totally get why Christina Ricci’s Roberta stopped taping down her boobs for Scott Wormer. We would have, too.

4. Zack Siler (Freddie Prinze Jr) - She’s All That, 1999

4. Zack Siler (Freddie Prinze Jr) - She’s All That, 1999

So she was a bet, she was a stupid bet, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t wish we were in Laney Boggs’s sensible shoes. Since seeing the way Zack Siler looked at her in that red dress, we’ve been all about the peasant-toppe ...

So she was a bet, she was a stupid bet, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t wish we were in Laney Boggs’s sensible shoes. Since seeing the way Zack Siler looked at her in that red dress, we’ve been all about the peasant-topped spaghetti strapped dresses and beach volleyball.

3. Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) - 10 Things I Hate About You, 1999

3. Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) - 10 Things I Hate About You, 1999

We had never had such a need to date a man with an accent until we met Patrick, who lived with his “mum” and single-handedly fueled our “boy with long hair” phase. Why the paint streaks? Because we’ve been waiting aroun ...

We had never had such a need to date a man with an accent until we met Patrick, who lived with his “mum” and single-handedly fueled our “boy with long hair” phase. Why the paint streaks? Because we’ve been waiting around the local paintball field waiting for Patrick to show up and turn our frowns upside down.

To this day, we can’t imagine how Kat even thought of one thing she hated about Patrick. Oh right, that whole bet thing. ;

2. Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) - Titanic, 1997

2. Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) - Titanic, 1997

We know it’s been 16 years, but still, we have to say it: Couldn’t Jack and Rose have just taken turns on that floating door? Then no one would have have had to throw that rock into the ocean in the end…

But in all ...

We know it’s been 16 years, but still, we have to say it: Couldn’t Jack and Rose have just taken turns on that floating door? Then no one would have have had to throw that rock into the ocean in the end…

But in all seriousness, Jack made us want to take drawing classes so we could meet a boy like him in art school, made us want to own an old timey car for opportune moments, and has left us traveling on rogue ferries and ocean liners, waiting to meet the boy from steerage.

1. Josh (Paul Rudd) - Clueless, 1995

1. Josh (Paul Rudd) - Clueless, 1995

And then we realized, OMG we love Josh! We’re like majorly, totally, butt crazy in love with Josh! But now we don't know how to act around him, especia ...

And then we realized, OMG we love Josh! We’re like majorly, totally, butt crazy in love with Josh! But now we don't know how to act around him, especially when he’s gone from just our totally non-creepy sorta step-bro crush to a full-fledged movie star.

And yes, we still strut around in our cutest little outfits and send ourselves flowers and candy, waiting for him to notice us. Josh & Cher 4evs!

Teenage Dreams: Our Top 12 Teen Movie Crushes of the ‘90s

Remember the ‘90s? That magical decade when you couldn’t walk into a movie theater without falling in love — with a teen movie hottie, that is. Back then, the big pictures were chock full of three-named dreamboats and bad boys we knew would figure things out and change their ways within the couple hours we sat and dreamed.

Which guys drove you crazy, who made you realize you were clueless until he came along, and which of these teen idols made you list at least 10 things you loved about him? Well, this gallery covers all that, with countdown in 3, 2, 1.